Cam



' Jul s, 1923.

- 1,460,651 R. F. HALL Filed Nov; 5.1920 a Sheets-Sheet 1 Jilly 3, 1923..

R. F. HALL CAM Filed Nov. 5, 1920 -3 Sheets-Sheet 2 a l Elli]? July 3, 1923.

' R. F. HALL CAM Filed Nov. ,5, 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented July 3, 1923.

airs stares ROBERT FRED RI KHA L, orMosELnY, BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND.

CAM;

Application filed November 5, 1920. Serial 1%. 422,048

To all whom it may. concern: r i

Be it known that I, ROBERT FREDERICK HALL, asubject of the King of Great Brit ain and Irelanchand resident of Ferndale, 4-5 Church Road, Moseley, near Birmingham, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Cams, of which the following is a specification. i 3

In many classes-0t machines, cams or 'camways are provided for operating parts periodically, and/or for various and varying intervals of time, and itis often necessary or desirableto PIOI ICl IHEZIDS whereby the period: of time after which, or the length of time during which a device is operated can be varied or to vary the amplitude of the stroke communicated to an opera-ted part by a cam or camway. 7 With these ends in view, it has been customary, with many machines, to furnish removable'cams or cam surfaces and toprovide a number of sets of cams orsurfaces of different shapes, so that' when the op cam or cam surface may not'he available for effecting the exact adjustment desired by the operator.

The object of my present invention is; to

provide means'whereby the contouror the surface of the cam or cam way may be varied within w de limits to suit the requirements of the particular cases, at the,

will of the operator, and that jwithout the necessity of stopping or in any way interfering with the Working of thegmachine,

According to th general principle otm invention in place of providing a cam or cam way of the ordinary construction for operating the parts, I form theoperatmg surface of the cam or cam way from aplurality of units or parts placed in such juxtaposition to one another that their combined surfaces constitute the operating part of thecam or cam way'and these-units are so mounted and arranged that the operating part of each may b protruded to a greater or less degree with regard to the neighbouring unit, thus enabling the shape of the required position, 7 means is so arranged that 1t canbe IHELIIlPlb NT j operating surface of the cam or-camway to be varied. Each of theunits hasassoclated therewith controlling means whereby it can be protruded, retracted or brought into" any and co this controlling lated by the operator'withoutsto pping the machine. I 4 v r.

In this way the durations of anditheiin or amplitude of the operationmay be adjusted with great accuracy to suit the" re-' quirements of particular cases; j

To further explain th nature and scope tervals between the operation, or thestroke of my invention I will now proce'dto describe its applicationto machines for'ith'e manufacture of glass articles, wherein a r is used for the production orfs'hapingofjthe article, my present invention being- "par ticularly suitable for controlling the operate parts of suchmachines.

In th machines of the typefunde r consideration formaklng. glasswarticles, theair 1S controlled by means of valves and-these valves are usually operated by'a cam like I fixture attached to the machine and-having various profiles, pro ectlons or contours. In

some cases the valve mechanism. rotates" around the cam, whilst in other 'case's the cam may be rotated with respect tothevalvemec-hanism. Y

Sofar as the use of air in" machinesof,

the type under consideration for 'th'e' pun I poses of blowingar-tlcles'to formr1scorp-- cerned experience shows that the quantityof air used during the time orltimes ot and the intervals between the "blowingopera-f tions varyaccording to the" size and shape ofthe articlefthe viscosity olf the glass and I It follows, there the w orking' conditions. fore, that it is necessary allymac'hines for. blowlng glass articles that cam mechanism should tensed which is capable of proaua; p

i-ng these variations. I v

' As previouslystated the present practice is to supply sets of interchangeable cams- I 1 I. or. camway fixtures having different con- "1' tours or. projections, eachyset being de signed togivev the most suitable results for, a particular'article or range' o't"articles.

Consequently when the machine is required 1 to produce a different article, or range cf articles, it is necessary to stop r it,fto"re move the set' already in place-{and to fin" a different set in position and" this change;

involves the loss of time and labor.

The accompanying drawing shows by way of example one method of applying my i vention to overcome these drawbacks, and illustrates the application of said invention to the blowing control of a rotary machine for the manufacture of glass articles.

Fig. 1 is a vertical section showing aportion of the rotatable crown of the machine and the adjacent relatively fixed cam plate fitted with adjustable cam members constituting the principal feature of my in vention.

is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating substantially the same portion of the machine.

Fig. 3 is a top plan of the cam plate and associated parts.

Fig. l is a vertical section oi a form of adjusting means for the Bowden cable.

The same symbols of reference are ployed to denote similar parts in all news.

A is a portion of the rotatable crown provided with projecting surfaces 0. a to the which are fitted the valve chambers or casings b. c is a channel in connection with the supply of blowing air terminating iiran aperture 0 in the face of the pro ection a. a

Each of the valve casings is provided with a body portion l2 adapted to he bolted to the face of the projection a into which fits a socket portion a carrying the valve operatinn mechanism hereinafter described.

The body portion 7) is provided with an opening f constituting the valve chamber and coming opposite the aperture 0 when the body I) is bolted in position.

The socket portion 0 is furnished with a valve seating; g.

h is the pipe leadingto the blowing; head of the machine and connected at 72 to the valve casing, the said pipe communicating by means of a conduit 7L2 with the valve chamber behind the valve.

is the valve, the stem k of which passes through a suitable guide and is provided at the outer end with a screw thread. m is a sliding head or fitting. adapted to telescope within a suitable recess in the socket e and provided with a hole through which the screw threaded portion of the stem 70 passes, the parts being retained inposition by a. nut on the end of the stem as will be clearly seen. 2) is a helical compression spring resting between the guide for die valve stem and a recess in the head or fitting m, so that the valve is kept normally closed.

1 r are projecting portions oi" the member e forming a guidewav within which is adapted to slide a. block s. 7 is a cross bar connecting the parts 0 and a. The slide block is pushed normally outwards by means of'a helical compression spring 00, whilst a is an adjusting screw passing through the cross bar 25, so that the slide block 8 can be adjusted in position against the pressure of the spring at.

Pivotally mounted at 2 upon the slide bloclr s are levers 3, the upper ends of which rest against the valve operating head or sliding fitting m, and the lower ends of which are interconnected and carry a rod or pin & upon which is rotatably mounted a roller 5.

It will thus be seen that if. pressure is brought to bear against the rotatable roller 5 tending to force it outwards, this causes the levers 3 to be rocked about the pivot 2 and to push in the valve head m, thus opening the valve is.

Z is the cam plate in connection with the lined central column or equivalent part of the machine and carrying the adjustable members now about to be described.

6 is a ring carried upon the cam plate Z and provided with apertures 7, 7 7 forming' guideways through which slide raclrs 8 S 8 the teeth of which mesh with corresponding pinions on axles having mounted thereon tappets or small cams 9 9 9 The general contour of these tappets will be clearly seen from the drawing, from which it will be observed that the are eccentrically mounted and so shaped that when the rod carrying any one of them is rotated it causes the fiat or some more or less curved portion of the tappet to be turned towards the outside.

Thus in Fig. 2 the rack 8 is in the normal position and the edge of the tappetis not projected. The rack 8 is pushed outwards causing the flat portion of the tappet 9 to he turned towards the outside; whilst the rack 7 is drawn in causing the projecting curved portion of the tappet 9 to be turned towards the outside.

10 is a circular ring or shelf mounted upon the cam plate Z and provided with apertures ll, one coming opposite each of the guide ways 7 7 tor the racks 8", 8* Into the aperture 11 fits a plug or socket 11 to which is connected. the sheath 12 of the Bowden control, the wire or core of which 13 is attached to the corresponding rack 8. a helical compression spring 14 being fitted and tending the rack normally outwards.

The Piowden cable passes away to the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 4. and described hereatter.

15 is another long tappet or cam. pivotally to push mounted at 1.6. 17 is a crank lever pivotally I mounted at 18 and connected by an appropriate pin and slot connection at 19 to the cam 15., so that by turning the lever 1'? about its fulcrum 18, the cam 15 can be swung inwards or outwards as may be required.

T he position of the lever 17 is controlled in a manner analogous to that already described with reference to the racks, 12 being the sheath of the Bowden cable, -the wire or core of which 13 is attached to the arm 17 of the lever, a. helical compression spring 14 being'provided adapted to push the lever normally outwards-- I I I will now-consider'the general operatlon of the mechanism already described.

The crown or rotatable head A of the machine is presumed to be revolved in a clockwise direction, while the cam plate Z remains fixed, the controlling mechanism shown at Fig. 2 having just left the last of the tappets illustrated in that view.

l/Vhen it is not desired to bring the valve controlling mechanism into operation the Bowden wires are so manipulated that they allow the flattened portion of the corresponding tappet to be turned towards the outside, as at 9, the result being that the roller 5 is not pushedoutwards by the tappet, and that the valve remains upon its seating.

On the open the valve for a longer or shorter period or to a greater'or less extent the tappets are set into other positions, for instance into those shown at 9 and 9,'caus1ng-the.

" roller 5 to be pushed outwards swinging over the levers ,3 and-opening the correspending valve to a greater orless extent, or for a'longeror shorter period. 1 p In this way by provlding" anyapproprlate number of tappetsin suitabl'e juxtaposition to one another, it is possible to produce the same effect as that caused by an ordi-" nary cam plate having any particular contour.

long blast the extent of which can be varied as to the duration and is located at a portion of thepath of travel of the operating rollers of the blowing control where it is not necessary to'provide for the minute.

variations which can be obtained with the use of the smaller tappets;

Referring now to Fig. l which illustrates, as previously explained one particular method of constructing the mechanism for adjusting the Bowden wire and consequently the corresponding rack or lever to which it is connected; 20 is a suitable base plate, for instance the base plate of the machine in which is provided an aperture 21. 22 is a flanged sleeve or gland passing through the said aperture 21 and bolted in position.

23 is another flanged sleeve, formed as a I nut at the upper portion and held in position by a cover 24 in such a way however that it is rotatable about its central longitudinal axis and may be rotated by means of a suitable tool from the nut portion.

The sleeve 23 is provided with a screwv thread 25 on the interior.

26 is an inner tubular member, provided thread 25 on the interior ofthe part 23. I member 26 is also provided with a downother hand, when it is requiredto:

The camplate 15 is intended to produce a with'an enlarged screw lthreaded portion 27 the thread of the'screw engaging the screw The wardly extending portion, passing through the gland or'sleeve 22, 'the engaging parts beingsquared or otherwise formed so that the mernbers 22 and 26 cannot rotate with respect to oneanother.

The core of the Bowden cable passes up through a perforation in the member, 26 and is secured by the usual sleeveand'lock nutat the top thereof, whilst thelsheath 12 of the Bowdencable is secured by the usual sleeve and nut to the part 22.

' 'With" this construction it will be seen that I by rotating the member 23 by ineans of a box spanner or other appro'priatetool, since the inner member26 cannot rotate it will 1. be raised or lowered according to the direction-in which the nut is turnechthus causing the Bowden wire 13 to be pulled inor released against-the action of the corresponding spring 14, in this wayadjusting the ,po-

sition of the corr-espondingrack or lever,

and bringing'the associated tappet or cam into any desired position.

I It'will be understood thatone of-the elements illustrated'at Fig. is provided for each tappetor cam and that all the elements are within easy access of the engineer or operator in charge of the machine so that the necessary adjustment ofthe posit-ion' of, the tappet or camcan be ei'lected with great rapidity, to suit requirements and that without stopping the working of the machine. I

As previously pointed out 'the particular construction of the mechanism hereinbefore described is given merely by way of example,'"as also its application to. machines, a

for the manufactured glass articles, asthe eonstructlou of the device .may be varied within wide-limits'and the invention be appliedinall cases where it is desired to provide machines with cainsor camways,

the operating surfaces of which are to be varied in form or contour.

In place ofproviding pins furnished with eccentrically mounted heads or tappets or a pivoted cam controlled by'a suitable lever \or crank, I may provide a plurality of.

radially mounted slides, the outer'ends' of which arev furnished with or formed-as heads constituting the operating surface of ion the cam or camway, each slide being adapt-e ed to beslidden inwards or outwards independently ofthe neighboring slide. so that by a suitable arrangement, the required contour can be obtained.

. It will be apparent that I have shown and described one embodiment of the in-' vention, but that I do" not limit myself to this construction, asa wide range of modificatlons may bemade 1n the construction Within the contemplation of my invention and Within the scope of the appended claims.

IVhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States of America is 1., A cam mechanism including a supporting structure, means forming an operating surface for a cam comprising a series of eccentrically pivoted tappets, and operating means for rotating the tappets to vary the operating surface.

2. A. cam mechanism including a supporting structure, means forming an operating surface for a cam comprising a series of eccentricaliy pivoted tappets, and operating means for rotating said tappets independently to vary the contour of the operating surface.

3. A cam mechanism including a support ing structure, means forming an operating surface for a cam comprising a series of tappets pivotally mounted on the supporting structure, gearing for rotating the tappets, and means for op rating the gearing.

4. In a cam mechanism, a supporting structure, a plurality of plates providing a cam operating surface, spindles in the supporting structure on which the plates are mounted, and means for effecting a move ment of each spindle independently of the others to vary the contour of the cam operating surface.

5. In a cam mechanism, a supporting structure, a plurality of plates providing a cam operating surface, spindles in the supporting structure on which the plates are eccentrically mounted, a pinion on each spindle, and means for effecting the rotation of each spindle independently comprising a separate rack for engaging each pinion, and means for effecting a movement of the racks independently of each other.

,6. A cam mechanism comprising a sup porting structure, a series of relatively 'movable members carried thereby and arranged to provide a cam operating surface, and opcrating means connected With said movable members for effecting a movement thereof to vary the contour ofthe cam operating surface. I

ing structure, a member movably mounted thereon and providing a cam operating surface, and a flexible means connected With said member for effecting a movement thereof.

8. A cam mechanism including a support ing structure, a member movably mounted thereon providing a cam operating surface, means for effecting the movement of said 7. A cam mechanism including a supportmember, and a Bowden Wire for operating a movement of said member, and a cam for engaging said cam operating surface.

11. In a machine for forming glass articles, a relatively fixed supporting structure and a movable structure, an air valve on the movable structure, a cam for operating the valve, a. cam operating surface on the. fixed structure for effecting the actuation of said cam upon the movement of the movable structure, and means for changing the cam operating surface during the actuation of the machine.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

ROBERT rnnnnmoir HALL. 

